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The Pastoral Lens
Death of a Dictator
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
I have read numerous articles and comments in the days following the public execution of the Iraqi dictator, Saddam Hussein. I must admit, I was quite surprised at the response by the leaders of those nations that have been involved in the war in Iraq. Most of them have felt that the deposed leader's execution was a terrible thing. Although this man was responsible for the senseless killing of numerous thousands over the years that he was in power, yet somehow his death was not justified. I beg to differ!The Scriptural account of the value of human life cleaerly shows the need to deal severely with those who take another's life. In the case of Saddam Hussein, we are talking about many, many lives. Consider what the Lord said to Noah after he got off the ark with his family, as recorded in Genesis 9:5-6: "And surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from every man, from every man's brother I will require the life of man. Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man." I'd say that is pretty clear. How else can society survive unless the price of a person's life is deemed valuable? A simliar statement is made in Leviticus 24:17: "And if a man takes the life of any human being, he shall surely be put to death." I'm not saying that the mode of execution be unnecessarily excruciating, only that it be done. Making Hussein's execution public may have been interpreted by many, including the pope, to be vainglorious and shameful, but there's another side to this coin. Making his execution public said to the Iraqi people, and to the world, that those who commit cold-blooded murder will not be treated lightly. Running a red light costs you a fine, but murder is paid for with your life.
Let's consider one other verse in the Old Testament, Numbers 35:33: "So you shall not pollute the land in which you are; for blood pollutes the land and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it." The land of Iraq over the years has been polluted by the spilled blood of innocent people, by the hands of a ruthless dictator. Justice for this people and this land could only come by the death of this guilty man.
Jesus Christ also died as a guilty Man. He was innocent, of course, but became guilty when He voluntarily took on the sins of the entire human race, including yours and mine. It would take His death, then, to heal the land and bring justice to bear. Due to our sin, we deserved the death penalty, but God "made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21). As recipient of this divine grace, I'm sure glad my Father didn't let Jesus off the hook.
So, I'm addiong my name to those who felt Saddam Hussein's death was justified. Death has never been God's way, but ever since sin entered the world through Adam and Eve's disobedience, it has become inevitable. However, as God has planned it, the promise to have life again comes through death. Jesus is the supreme example of that!
